developed in recent years, and the wide variety of concepts they reflect. While these chapters display wide consensus over which types of task are affected by cholinergic drugs, a central controversy dominates this field, namely that of data interpretation. For instance, the memory deficits with scopolamine can be interpreted in two quite different ways. They may either reflect a direct drug effect upon memory, or they may be an indirect product of reduced alertness or attentiveness. While each chapter addresses this problem (especially Frith), opinion differs over which interpretation is to be favoured. Indeed, the empirical separation of specific information processing stages, from broad generalized decrements (e.g. sedation), remains a surprisingly difficult problem to disentangle, within the whole of human psychopharmacology. Other areas covered with the first section include the benzodiazepines and betacarboline (Stephens, Duka and Andrews), and Noradrenaline (Sara).
The second half of the book covers a selection of more 'abnormal' topics, in particular clinical topics such as memory in Alzheimer's disease (Morris), and neuropsychological studies (Parkin). Subjects with superior memory skills are reviewed by Wilding and Valentine, while the interface between mood and memory is provided by Eysenck and Mogg. The range of studies covered in these (again thorough) reviews is extensive, while they confirm that 'memory' has been one of the most thoroughly studied topics within the whole field of psychology. Overall therefore, this book provides a